After a dominant victory against Wyoming last Saturday, ASU has a chance to do something unprecedented this weekend against Mississippi State — a win against the Bulldogs would mark the first Southeastern Conference win in program history for the Sun Devils.
In order to achieve such a feat, ASU is going to have to be prepared for a competent and qualified Mississippi State program.
Mississippi State Overview
Although 2023 marked an uncharacteristic down year for the Bulldogs, where they finished 5-7 with a conference record of 1-7, there's reason to believe that first-year head coach Jeff Lebby can turn things around.
Lebby has brought an explosiveness since becoming an offensive coordinator in 2019. He has led active offensive coordinators in 50+ point games. Known for his high-octane passing offenses, the Sundevil defensive backs will have to be geared up for this weekend.
Also added to the Bulldog staff is defensive coordinator Coleman Hutzler, who previously served at Alabama as the outside linebacker coach. With two years under former Alabama head coach Nick Saban, Hutzler could bring a Tuscaloosa flavor to his defense by incorporating zone match coverages and adjustments that have been popularized at Alabama.
Season Openers
Mississippi defeated Eastern Kentucky 56-7 in their season opener. What stood out in the win was the Bulldogs' offensive attack, which racked up eight explosive plays at a 14% rate over the course of their victory.
ASU also won by a significant margin in their season opener, dominating the Wyoming Cowboys 48-7 in a game many projected to be a close-scoring affair. The opener highlighted a much more different-looking team in comparison to last year's 3-9 squad.
Players to Watch
With 53 total newcomers to Mississippi State's roster, the Bulldogs have the most new additions of any team in the SEC.
One of those players is starting quarterback, senior Blake Shapen, who transferred from Baylor this offseason. Against Eastern Kentucky, Shapen led the Bulldogs in passing and rushing, accounting for 247 and 44 yards respectively in addition to four total touchdowns.
Shapen's main receiving target was junior Jordan Mosley, who had five receptions for 104 yards and a touchdown. If ASU wants to account for a successful defensive effort against Mississippi State, they may have to keep Mosley covered.
On the Sun Devil's side, two players to watch are redshirt freshman Sam Leavitt and redshirt junior Xavion Alford. Leavitt led the offense commendably against Wyoming. He threw for 258 yards and two touchdowns with a 63.6% completion rate. Additionally, his ability to run the ball and scramble in the pocket, with 47 total rushing yards, appeared to be a key weapon for this offense early in the season.
Alford will be leading ASU's defense. As a skilled safety, Alford will be helping in coverage against Mosley.
Keys for Sundevil Success
To keep the game within a consistent reach, ASU's defense may have to limit big plays. Sun Devil defense has the chance to prevent explosive plays by playing more conservative coverages on the backend.
The Sun Devils could aggressively attack the Bulldog's defense, which is full of young players and led by first-year defensive coordinator Hutzler. By balancing out both their run and pass games with the intention of scoring early and often, the Sun Devils have a chance to repeat their stellar offensive going from week one.
The game will take place at Mountain America Stadium on Sep. 7 at 7:30 p.m..
Edited by Henry Smardo, Sophia Ramirez and Natalia Jarrett.
Reach the reporter at jwkartso@asu.edu and follow @kartsonis3 on X.
Like The State Press on Facebook and follow @statepress on X.
Jack is a sophomore studying sports journalism. This is his second semester with The State Press. He has also worked at other student journalism organizations.
